Freefall
by Emilia Christine
Summary: She left Gotham, turning her back on her vigilante past and Dick Grayson. Now, working as a Detective in Michigan, Julia is more concerned about building up a reputation within her department. But when Robin is spotted in Detroit, she heads to the bustling city and is reunited with the boy she once loved. The reunion would put her on a path that she never expected.
1. Prologue

**Rating:** M for coarse language, graphic depictions of violence

 **Pairings:** Dick/OC (both romantic & platonic), possible Donna/OC

 **Summary:** Julia was raised to fight. Her mother was a vigilante, an ally of Bruce Wayne. By the time she was fifteen, Julia would tag along with her mother, Batman, and Robin on their nightly escapades. It also brought her closer to Dick Grayson. They were on the way to becoming High School Sweethearts. That is until the night of the explosion, the night her mother died. Julia left for college and never looked back. By 2018, she's living in Michigan tending to a stressful job as a detective. However, when Robin is spotted in Detroit, she makes her way to the bustling city and is reunited with the boy she once loved. The reunion is cut short with the appearance of a young girl-Rachel Roth. From then on, Julia goes on an impromptu road trip with a bunch of misfits, faces traumas from her past, and must confront the lingering feelings she still has for Dick Grayson.

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Titans, only my original characters

* * *

 _2008_

….

It was a cold, wet, overcast day.

Her entire body ached, begging for her to lie down somewhere. She tried to ignore it as best she could. Standing out in the cold rain didn't do much to help with healing from her injuries. Julia sucked in a harsh breath and looked up at the other funeral goers. Their eyes were downcast, some wiped away their tears while the others remained silent. Her eyes moved to the figures of Bruce and Dick standing across from her on the other side of the casket. Bruce looked remorseful, the guilt slowly eating away at him. Dick could only stare at the scene before him in shock.

Julia felt a hand on her shoulder. Immediately, she glanced over and saw her father desperately trying to keep his composure. She wanted to comfort him. She wanted to do anything that would take his pain away. But she could only stare at him, eyes empty of any emotion. That's how she has felt this entire week; empty. Her mind was unable to fully grasp the realization that was playing out before her.

Her mother is dead. _Her mother is dead._

She's been repeating those words over and over, like a mantra. It was torturous, but she deserved it. Julia was there with her mother in the warehouse. She saw the bomb was about to detonate, yet she didn't act fast enough and her mother died as a result. There was no way she survived it. Julia was fortunate enough to leave with a few minor burns and injuries. She passed out not long after the explosion and when she woke up the next day, Dick was sitting by her side. He had been there the entire night, refusing to leave her side. He had almost lost her in that explosion, he wasn't going to let her out of his sight.

The big task that had to be dealt with was the funeral. Julia's father had wanted to do the funeral while his daughter recuperated at the hospital. He thought it would have been better if she skipped it. Needless to say, when Julia found out she was furious. She made it quite clear that she was going to attend the funeral, even though her father and Dick tried to convince her otherwise. "I need to go." She told them. "I'll regret it if I don't."

Both were rather hesitant. Julia needed more time to heal. But how could they stop her from attending her mother's funeral? No, they couldn't do that to her. Now that she was here, a part of her wished that she was at home lying in her bed, but she had to be here. As much as it pained her, she had to be here.

The priest said the final prayer, signaling the end of the funeral. Julia and her father stood in place watching everyone say their final goodbyes. Her eyes were fixed on the casket, while her father's hand remained on her shoulder. The funeral goers exchanged few words with her father, while also trying to offer their condolences to her as well. Julia only nodded at them, she didn't even try to fake a smile. They didn't deserve it and she wasn't in the mood to put forth all of that energy.

Soon, it was just the two of them. Her father was the first to step forward. Bracing his hands on the closed casket, he leaned down and pressed his forehead against the casket. Julia watched in silence, seeing his lips moving-saying his final farewell to his beloved wife. Then, he kissed the casket. The sight alone should have brought her to tears. Except, her face remained unchanged; eyes were clear and still empty of any emotion. But it was her turn. She waited until her father had stepped away, giving her all the space she needed. Julia slowly approached the casket, her feet felt heavy-like she was walking in glue. This was it, the moment that it all had been leading up to.

It was time to say goodbye.

Julia stepped up and stared down at the closed casket. She thought about what her mother looked like, how much the explosion must have fucked up her appearance. The fact that her father declined an open casket was the only answer she needed. Her hands twitched, itching to open it. To see her mother one last time. The very thought made her feel sick to her stomach. Julia didn't want to see her mother like that, she wouldn't be able to get the image out of her head. The last image she wanted of her mother was when she was smiling and laughing. Not whatever was lying in this coffin.

 _Don't open it._ She told herself, her hands balled into fists. _Don't fucking open it._

Julia exhaled, her breath forming in clouds. Thunder rolled above, sending a chill down her back. She braced her hands on the casket, which was now slick with rain. Her lip trembled, forcing her to tense up. She didn't want to cry, not here. "Goodbye, mom." She said, softly. Then, Julia leaned down and kissed the casket.

That was it. She turned around and was greeted by her father, who began to lead them back to the car. She wanted to get out of there...fast. Waiting for them at the car was Bruce and Dick, which didn't surprise her one bit. Bruce took her father to the side, possibly to offer help whenever they needed it. Julia was surprised that her father didn't tell Bruce to piss off. She thought there had to be a part of her father that blamed Bruce for what happened. After all, they were all there to help him that night. Regardless, her father never expressed any bitterness toward his longtime friend. No doubt, Bruce was crippled with guilt over not being able to save her mother. That wasn't hard for her to tell.

She shook the thought away and glanced up at Dick, her first instinct was to fall into his arms and cry. That's all she wanted at that moment. For him to hold her, to tell her that everything was going to be fine, that he would never leave her. Instead, she merely stared at him, unsure of what to say.

Dick cleared his throat and carted a hand through his wet hair, "I'm sorry, Jay"

Condolences, that's all she's heard for the past week and frankly, she was sick of it. But her temporary annoyance was dissipated when he wrapped his arms around her and held her close. She felt her body lean into his hold, her face nuzzled against his neck. It was all too much. Being near him and Bruce, it was just making this reality all the more painful. Julia gathered herself and pulled herself away, her eyes were downcast-refusing to look at Dick. She felt his hand cradle her cheek, she kept her gaze where it was.

"I'll call you, okay?" His voice was so soft and quiet, it was soothing to her ears. "It's gonna be okay." He kissed her forehead, his thumb caressed her cheek, hoping to comfort her as much as possible.

Julia stayed in his touch for just a moment longer, then tore herself away from him and marched after the car. She said nothing to Bruce, he didn't even try to stop her. If blaming him would help heal her, then Bruce was willing to endure it. Julia got into the car, along with her father. She spotted Dick out of the corner of her eye, watching her with great concern, but she made sure to keep her eyes forward.

The sooner she leaves Gotham, the better it will be for her-for everyone.

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 **A/N:** Hope you all liked it! A review would be much appreciated!


	2. Chapter One

Disclaimer: I do not own Titans, only my original characters

* * *

 _Michigan, 2018_

….

"Seriously where did you learn to fight like that?"

Julia snickered at her friend's question as she unlocked the door to her apartment. "What are you talking about?" She asked, then pushed her way into the apartment. "They taught us about self-defense during training."

"No, that wasn't just self-defense," Cassie said as she closed the door behind her, then followed her friend into the kitchen. "That was more like superhero fighting." She raised her fists up on a mock pose. Those words and Cassie's pose made Julia laugh again, but she could feel her body tense up. "I've never seen someone so quick to react in that kind of situation."

Julia pulled out two wine glasses from the shelf and a bottle of wine from the refrigerator. She gave a quick shrug as she placed the items on the kitchen island where her friend was currently sitting at. "What can I say, I'm just quick on my feet."

The two of them had just gotten off work. Earlier, they had received a tip on a guy that was wanted for robbery. They tracked him down to an abandoned house that belonged to a friend of his. Julia and Cassie arrived at the scene with a backup team, when they entered the house, the man tried to get the upper hand but Julia was quick to disarm him. It was so fast, Cassie didn't have any time to react. She was absolutely amazed by her friend's quickness. It prompted a bombardment of questions once they returned to the station and it continued after they were off the clock.

Julia opened the bottle and poured out a decent amount in both glasses. "I was just lucky with it."

Cassie snorted before taking a drink, "No, that wasn't luck, it was almost like you knew what was going to happen seconds before I did."

Julia raised her brows as she drank from her glass, refusing to give any verbal answer. She choked upon seeing the look on her friend's face. "Honestly, Cas, what do you want me to say?"

"Just tell me how you did it."

"Okay, you want the truth?"

Cassie nodded her head, eagerly.

"It was my mom," Julia then hesitated at the words that left her mouth. It was so casual with how she brought her mother up in conversation. It took her by surprise. "She was really big into self-defense, had a friend who helped her to sharpen her skills and she wanted me to be able to defend myself."

"How old were you when she started teaching you?"

Julia thought on it for a moment, "Probably, thirteen, maybe even twelve, I was really young."

"Shit, you _really_ were young."

She shrugged off her friend's surprise, forgetting how that must sound like to people outside this group of vigilantes. "Well, living in a city that has a harsh reputation you gotta learn how to keep yourself safe." Julia had talked a little about her childhood back in Gotham. Cassie knew that her parents were friends with Bruce Wayne and Julia, insinuated, that she had seen Batman only once. Of course, that was a lie, but it was rather funny seeing her friend's reaction.

Cassie took her wine glass and trudged into the living room. Meanwhile, Julia retreated to her bedroom to change into something more comfortable. Julia grabbed a sweater from her closet and a pair of sweats from her drawers. She changed into her clothes and walked out of her bedroom, picked up her wine glass from the table, and made her way into the living room. Cassie was sitting on the couch, skimming through one of Julia's old photo albums. She glanced up at her friend and paused, "Sorry, is it alright if I went through this?"

Julia waved off her apology, "It's fine." She said, leaning against the threshold between the living room and the kitchen. Julia drank her wine and watched as her friend skimmed through the pages. It had been years since she looked through this particular album, she actually forgot which photos were in there.

Cassie smiled at the photos of Julia with her parents and one goofy picture of her and Bruce Wayne, which was rather hilarious for her to see. But she stopped on a few polaroids of Julia, who appeared to be a teenager, with another boy. She picked up the bunches of polaroids and showed them to Julia, "Who's this?"

Julia froze once she realized what photos that were being presented to her. They were polaroids that Julia had taken during high school when she was with Dick. She approached her friend and took the polaroids from her. It had been so long since she's looked at these photos. "That's me and my boyfriend...well, ex-boyfriend." Her voice faded towards the end, she could feel her stomach twisting into knots.

"You guys look so cute!" Cassie seemed to breeze right past the last few words.

Julia smiled only smiled.

"What's his name?"

"Dick Grayson."

Cassie blinked at her friend, "Wait, you mean Grayson, like the Flying Graysons?" Julia only nodded in response. "Holy shit, I remember hearing about what happened with his parents."

"Yeah," Julia took a seat on the couch, her eyes glued on the photos-the memories were starting to flood her mind. "Like I said, my parents were good friends with Bruce, so when he took Dick in we became well acquainted. Plus, we went to school together."

"When did you two start dating?"

"Towards the end of Sophomore year, we stayed together through the rest of high school and then we broke up after I left for college."

"Aw," Cassie's lips formed in a pout. She scooted closer to look at the polaroids. "What happened?"

"A lot. It's a long and complicated story."

"Well, I got a little bit of time,"

"It's a long and complicated story that I'd rather not get into."

Cassie threw her friend an apologetic yet understanding look. "Got it, didn't mean to bring up a sensitive subject."

Julia was grateful. She'd rather not get into her past, despite there being a lot of good memories, it was something she tried not to think about. Julia had repressed it so much, it feels like another lifetime to her. Only ten years have passed, to her, it felt longer.

Cassie glanced down at her watch, "Shit," she finished her glass of wine and set it down on the coffee table. "I have to go, I'm meeting Zach for dinner."

Julia dropped the polaroids onto the couch and followed her friend to the front door. Cassie even offered for Julia to tag along, if she wanted to. "No, it's fine. You go and have a nice dinner with Zach. I'm just gonna take a bath and relax, it's been a long day."

"Yeah, no joke," Cassie shrugged on her coat and then pulled her friend into a brief hug. "I'll see you tomorrow."

Julia saw her friend out the door, then locked it. She made her way back through the living room but stopped near the couch. The polaroids were in plain view. Julia stared at them while twirling her glass in one hand. She walked over, set the glass down on the table, and picked up the polaroids. Now, she allowed herself a moment to really look at them. Her eyes scanned over the images, the corners of her mouth curling in a soft smile. She traced her finger over one of the polaroids, recalling when each of them was taken. She remembered how happy she was, how everything was simple and good. She missed it. She missed how her life was before her mother died. Despite its problems, Julia missed being in Gotham, the people she's grown to know, the familiar buildings and streets.

Then her mind went dark. She thought about the last time she saw Dick. He had visited her a couple weeks after her mother's funeral. Unbeknownst to him, Julia had already packed up everything she needed to leave for college. Dick knew that she wasn't okay, he offered to take her out that day-just to get her mind off of everything. Julia turned him down and admitted that she would be leaving for school in a few days. He was surprised to say the least. Given with her mother's death, he thought she would've stayed home just a bit longer.

" _I feel like I'm suffocating by staying here."_

There was nothing he could have said to change her mind. Julia left a few days later and kept up with text messaging and phone calls. Then, slowly but surely, she stopped calling and ignored text messages. Dick would try to call or message her, and she would effectively ignore it. He even planned on going to visit her at school but Bruce talked him out of it. _You crowd around her and she'll push you away even more._ In the end, the phone calls stopped and Julia was successful in completely isolating herself from those who loved her-even her father.

Julia cleared her throat. It was something she had a hard time thinking about. The fact that she hurt people she loved-it made her sick to her stomach. She's already made peace with her father and with Alfred. Bruce and Dick were the only ones she hasn't made amends with. It's been something that had crossed her mind several times over the past few years. Yet, she never acted on it. Frankly, she was too scared. It's been so long, what would be the point of her reaching out to them? She didn't know how, but it was different with them. Julia picked up the photo album, placed the polaroids between the pages, and closed the book. With the album in one hand and her wine glass in the other, Julia strode towards the bathroom, tossed the photo album onto her bed, and went on to draw herself a bath. All the while, her mind was plagued with those bittersweet memories.

* * *

Two Days Later

….

Julia was sat at her desk, half done paperwork was strewn out in front of her. The station was rather busy, thankfully she only had to deal with filling out the paperwork from her last bust a few days ago. But she wasn't focused on finishing the paperwork. Instead, she stared at her computer screen, her fingers itching to type in that familiar name into the search engine. Ever since looking at those photos, she couldn't get Grayson off her mind. For the past two nights while lying in bed, Julia would only stare at the ceiling, the remorse that came with how she ended things, tore her up inside. In the last ten years, she had thought about contacting Dick to apologize for how everything had ended-for all the wrong she did. But she always chickened out, thinking that he wouldn't ever want to see her again and she couldn't blame him if he did.

Now, it was a constant question: should she contact him? Perhaps, find out where he lives and pay him a visit. It was a tantalizing and terrifying prospect. She can't imagine facing him now after all this time. The look on his face when he saw her-it made a chill go down her spine. Her mind was bringing up every negative thought to sway her from even trying. Julia blew out a breath and washed her hands down her face. A few of her co-workers came out from one of the conference rooms behind her, prompting her to sit up and return to her paperwork. Her superior patted her on the shoulder as he passed her. She glanced over at him and smiled.

"You almost finished with that paperwork?"

"Yep," she nodded and glanced down at the mess on her desk. "Just gotta review a few more pages."

"Hey," Cassie approached the pair, giving their superior a nod of acknowledgment. "Have you guys heard about Detroit?" This made everyone's interest piqued. "Robin has been spotted in Detroit."

Julia could feel all the color in her face drain. _What?_ Julia shot up from her seat and walked over to Cassie. "What do you mean?" Her friend escorted her over to the television, where a group had already gathered to watch the newscast. Cassie merely pointed at the television screen, while one of their co-workers turned up the volume.

Julia crossed her arms over her chest, watching the newcast. Security footage of Robin in some kind of alleyway came across the screen. Her breath became hitched in her throat. That was definitely Dick. She knew his style, how he liked to fight. She could spot it from a mile away. The headline flashed across the screen: this was the first appearance of Robin in over a year. So, Dick was now living in Detroit. She had heard about him leaving Gotham from Alfred. Dick and Bruce had a massive argument, causing Dick to leave. Although, Alfred told her that his departure had been forthcoming. She wished she could have been there. Maybe to try and cushion the aftermath. Julia rubbed at her forehead, a headache was starting to form. This whole thing was just one big migraine.

"Why would Robin be in Detroit?" Cassie asked no one in particular.

Julia eyed her friend, her thumb pressed against her lips, and her mind racing with what to do with this information. No, she didn't have to do anything, right? It's not as if they knew Robin's true identity. But he was just a few hours away from her. Julia could get into her car and drive up to visit him. But she never expected him to be that close to her.

"I just hope he doesn't make his way down here," their superior said as he turned away from the tv. "The last thing we need is for Robin to be running around our streets."

She stepped aside, allowing her superior to pass by, then focused back on the tv. There was a still image of Robin in that alleyway, the newscaster still going on about why Robin was doing in Detroit in the first place. Julia glanced around, noticing that she was the only one still watching the tv. She stashed her hands into her pockets and went back to her desk. This time there was no trepidation on her part. The minute she sat down in her seat, she typed out the name _Richard Grayson_ in the search engine. The first few articles were from fifteen years ago, documenting the accident at the circus that killed his parents. An ache formed in her throat as she recalled the event. Bruce had asked Julia if she wanted to attend the show that night, she politely declined-there was a big test that she needed to study for. Good thing she didn't go. The idea of watching that event unfold before her eyes always sent a chill down her spine. She ignored those articles and scrolled down the page until she came across an entry that was just a little over a year old. From the Detroit Police Station official website. She clicked the link and was reverted to a page that showcased their detectives. And sure enough, Dick's picture popped up. She took a moment to linger on the photo, he still looked the same. Granted a little older, but she could still pick out hints of the teenage boy she knew for so long. But there was something off about him. The way his eyes looked: heavy and tired. The light that she always saw was no longer there.

She rested her cheek against her hand, her eyes never leaving the photo in front of her. What happened? What made Dick leave Bruce and Gotham behind? Dick and Bruce always had an interesting relationship. When Dick first arrived at Wayne Manor, he wasn't sure what to make of it all. A billionaire wanted to adopt him, that only happened in movies. However, Bruce saw _himself_ in the young orphan. Both lost their parents at a young age and both were random events. He took pity on the young boy. She can remember conversations between her mother and Bruce about Dick's behavior: acting up and sneaking out at night, at one point, he took one of Bruce's cars and went joyriding. It wasn't long after, that Julia was introduced to him and the two quickly fell into a friendship. She couldn't believe how fast they became friends, then Donna entered the picture and the three of them were always getting into trouble with Donna being the leader.

The corners of Julia's lips curled and she huffed out a laugh. _God, look what's happened to us._ She thought to herself. Again, he was only a few hours away from her. Julia eyed the paperwork, only a bit more to go. She could get off work early and drive up to see him. But was she ready for that? Did _he_ even want to see her? It was a long shot, but Julia made up her mind. She quickly finished up the paperwork, which only took about an hour, handed it over to her supervisor and left.

Although, she sat in her car at the station parking for about fifteen minutes. She debated how long she would be in Detroit for. She wasn't planning on being gone for more than a day, that meant she wouldn't need an overnight bag. Julia glanced down at her watch- _1:30._ By the time she got there, it would be around five or six. "Screw it, I'll find some seedy motel." Julia turned on the ignition, drove out of the parking lot and made her way onto the highway. She didn't go home to pack a bag. She's grown a habit of having a backpack filled with extra clothes that she kept in the trunk. After graduating and getting a job here, during her days off, Julia would take off in her car and drive with no destination in mind. She would be gone for days at a time and these trips would be spontaneous. So, she would always keep a bag of spare clothes in her trunk, just in case she felt the need to take off for a few days.

About an hour into the drive, it finally hit her. She was about to see Dick for the first time in ten years. There had been no point of contact between them during that duration. No phone calls, text messages… nothing. That was spurred on by her. It was her to cut him out of her life without any warning. She tightened her grip on the steering wheel and exhaled a deep breath, having half a mind to pull off on the next exit and head back home. "No, you can do this." She said to herself, trying to keep the anxiety and fear at bay. "It's now or never." No matter how upset he may be with her, she had to do this. She had to make it right. This trip wasn't just about catching up with an old friend. It was about mending a split caused by her.

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 **A/N:** Again this is pretty short but we are getting to the good stuff next! Hope you all liked it! A review would be much appreciated


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